


Cora Athmaza

by kiwisson



Series: Post-canon TGE fic [2]
Category: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Genre: Everyone Loves Side Characters, Future Fic, Gen, Imperial Dav Feels For Days, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 16:11:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11211570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwisson/pseuds/kiwisson
Summary: When he was fifteen, Cora (formerly Drazhar) knewexactlywhat he wanted to do with his life.





	Cora Athmaza

When he was fifteen, Cora (formerly Drazhar) knew  _ exactly  _ what he wanted to do with his life.

His new teacher, Delian Athmaza, found this interesting. “We will test to see where your natural aptitudes lie, of course, but potential will only take one so far. What you desire most greatly, what you are willing to dedicate your time and energy to the practice of, may be even more important. So, Novice Cora. What is it you wish to do?”

He stood a bit straighter. Delian wondered if he might actually pop up off the ground - she could practically  _ smell  _ the magical potential pouring off of him. Yes, if this lad put his mind to it, if he had the will as well as the skill, she could see him doing just about anything.

“We wish to serve the Emperor.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Of course. The Athmaz’are serves the Imperial Crown.”

Cora opened his mouth, then closed it again and flushed a little. But he didn’t look down, and those pale-blue eyes spoke volumes. She relented, a little. “But that’s not what you meant, exactly.”

“No, Delian Athmaza. We - we wish to serve Edrehasivar. In whatever capacity he might have us, of course, but…” He looked away, obviously unwilling or unable to put words to what it was he desired.

That was very interesting indeed. “The traditional path for  _ that  _ sort of thing is nohecharis.”

His flush got worse. “We mean no disrespect to Cala or Kiru Athmaza!” he squeaked.

“We did not imagine you might.”

As if a dam had broken, the words tumbled out, in gushes and starts. “It is only - we were on duty, at Winternight, as a page. The steward sent us with a message for Csoru Zhasanai, and we were just returning from delivering it, and we saw - what happened with Tethimar.”  He paused for air, then continued. “And - Edrehasivar is a  _ good  _ emperor. Perhaps unusual, and not like Varenechibel, but he is  _ good _ , and kind and just and-”

“That’s quite enough.” Now he did drop his gaze, face the approximate color of a ripe tomato, but she was intrigued. Perhaps this was childish hero-worship - but, well, there were far worse heroes for a child to worship than Cala Athmaza. And it was impossible to deny the magnetism of the man she’d already heard people calling  _ Edrehasivar the Kind _ . Perhaps Cora would never become nohecharis - there were a number of novices knocking around the place with at least as much potential to become dachenmazei as he, now. But it was not a bad goal to strive for, and if he achieved it… She nodded once, sharply. “Well, boy, let us see what you can do.”

He looked up again and smiled, radiant.

And he showed her.

* * *

Cora Athmaza tugged a trailing thread on the hem of his sleeve until it snapped. Absently, he knotted the ends together and cast it into the fireplace. He’d arrived promptly at the Adremaza’s office when summoned, only to find the man himself gone. Of course, one could do what one liked with one’s time when one was Neris Adremaza, but it was… rather offputting. Especially considering he’d known the man since his first year as a novice, and he was punctual as a general rule.

At last the door opened on Neris, dripping rainwater on the rather threadbare carpet. “Cora! I do apologize, had to see to some things, of course-”

“Of course, Adremaza.” Automatically Cora took the man’s overcoat, hanging it up by the fire. Neris looked a mess - his dark hair was coming down out of its queue, and whenever he pushed it behind his ears it just worked its way forward again. His eyes were shadowed from lack of sleep, and he was pale under the sheen of silver in his skin. “Is aught well?”

“No, brother, I fear very little is well. Close the door, please.” Neris dropped into his chair by the fire, shutting his eyes to rub at them with the heels of his hands. “Heard any particular gossip about Kiru Athmaza, of late?”

“No?”

“ _ Good _ . It’s not the sort of thing one wants getting around. You know she was ill with the bronchine, last winter?”

Cora felt his eyebrows go up and his ears go flat. “I thought she recovered from that. They said she recovered completely.” That had been a bad week - every maza in Cetho not actively working healings on the general populace was donating some of their energy to the nohecharei-mazei - to Kiru to burn the infection out of her lungs, and to Cala to keep him sharp even on his fifth or sixth shift in a row, catching catnaps at meals while Lieutenant Beshelar or Lieutenant Telimezh guarded the emperor’s sleep alone. It could not be thought of to allow Kiru in the presence of the Emperor - or worse, the infant Archduke - until all were certain she carried no hint of contagion.

The Adremaza looked grim. “Apparently not as completely as all that. And with the injury she took this past summer, and the one three years ago… she and the doctors and the other clerics have been in conference about it for weeks, and it’s been decided. She must go south, at least for the winter. Before the first freeze of this year.”

Cora went freezing-cold himself at that. “But a nohecharo can’t just - take a season off. For one thing, it’d actually, genuinely kill Cala dead.”

“Exactly.” Neris Adremaza stood, and placed his hands on Cora’s shoulders. “You said once you’d serve as nohecharis. Hellfrost, you said it about once a week when we were in the novitiate, I recall. Is that still something you are willing to do?”

“Yes.” It took no thought whatsoever. Gods, he should probably be agonizing over this more, give it due consideration and so on, talk to his dachenmazei colleagues even, but - no, it took no thought at all. And truly, this was far less tragic than some ways to assume the role. “I mean - with the consent of the Emperor and Lieutenant Telimezh - but. Yes, of course.”

For the first time in perhaps weeks, Neris relaxed. “Thank the Lady for you, Cora. What we’d do without you, I just don’t know.”

* * *

And so here he was, approaching the Tortoise Room in the wake of Lieutenant Beshelar, Cala Athmaza, and Neris Adremaza. Today was Kiru Athmaza’s last shift as Second Nohecharo to His Imperial Serenity, Edrehasivar the Seventh.

Today was the first day of the rest of Cora’s life.

His robe was freshly laundered and as mended as he could manage. His queue was looped once at the back of his head, as was his habit. His hands were not shaking, although the fingers of his left hand did occasionally fidget over his mazan-mura, the string of colorful beads looped around his right wrist. He wasn’t - all right, yes, he  _ was  _ nervous, but he needed to stop being nervous in a hurry. No one likes a jumpy guard, particularly not the one he’s guarding. He forced his hands to fold in his sleeves.

Lieutenant Beshelar rapped sharply on the door twice, and after a moment Lieutenant Telimezh let them in. Kiru rose from her seat as they entered. She  _ did  _ look unwell - there were a scattering more lines around her eyes than Cora remembered, the shadows beneath deeper, and there was something in the deliberate way she moved. But she recognized him at once, eyes widening a little with surprise, and offered him an encouraging smile.

Edrehasivar was aging gracefully, everyone said so, that he’d grown into himself these decades since his coronation. Threads of silver gleamed among the jewels in his dark hair, and his features seemed carved out of some fine, exotic gray marble - until he smiled, and rose from his seat by the fire. “Adremaza. We suppose it’s time?”

Neris bowed. “It is, Serenity.” He gestured slightly, and Cora took the cue, stepping forward and bowing deeply himself as Neris said “We bring you Cora Athmaza, who will, if it please your Serenity, relieve Kiru Athmaza of her duty, and stand in her place as your Second Nohecharis.”

Cora rose to find himself pierced through by those shocking silver eyes.  _ Gods _ . He’d only been in the man’s presence once or twice, as a michen, and he didn’t think he’d ever borne the full weight of the Imperial Regard in that time.

Edrehasivar tapped a finger to his lips. “Cora Athmaza,” he pronounced slowly, thoughtfully, and then something seemed to click. If the Imperial Regard was a shock, the sudden smile the Emperor favored Cora with could have struck him to the floor. “But are you not our cousin?”

Cora grinned back, not realizing it until he spoke. “We weren’t certain you would recognize us, Serenity. It’s been many years.” And, to Neris’ questioning look, “We served as a page in the Drazhada as a young man, before the novitiate accepted us.”

The Emperor chuckled. “You always seemed to bring messages from Csoru Zhasanai when we weren’t in the least mood to hear her. Oh dear, we were afraid we were  _ terribly  _ unkind to you, and for no fault at all of your own.” 

And there it was, the completely inappropriate - but utterly benevolent - attention to what others of high status would call insignificant (the  _ feelings  _ of some  _ page! _ ) that led to the epithet  _ Edrehasivar the Kind.  _ Cora swallowed. “We beg you not to think of it, Serenity. We were - we are - honored to serve you, in whatever way we can.”

The levity faded from the room at that, and Edrehasivar straightened, looking solemn and - mournful? “You desire this, then. To be nohecharis.”

“With all our heart, Serenity.” That gaze pinned him to the far wall again, like a beetle to a card, but he locked his hands in his sleeves and met it as squarely as he dared.

And at length, the Emperor closed his eyes and sighed. “Telimezh, Kiru? Have you any objections?”

Lieutenant Telimezh looked to Kiru Athmaza, who shook her head. “We have watched Cora Athmaza at his studies for years. He’s bright, and steady, and certainly has the power for it. We think he’ll serve you well, Serenity.”

Cora really was going to fall to the floor.  _ Kiru Athmaza had watched him at his studies! Kiru Athaza thought he was  _ bright!

Telimezh nodded, as if that was all he’d needed. Perhaps it was. “If Kiru Athmaza has no objections, nor do we, Serenity. And after this change of shift, we’ll be happy to accompany Cora Athmaza to the Archprelate for his oaths.”

Cora was certain, now, that his face was so flushed it must glow. He bowed to the Second Nohecharei. “Thank you, Lieutenant Telimezh. And thank you, Kiru Athmaza.”

Edrehasivar smiled, a bit sadly. “Then in that case, we are pleased to accept your service, Cora Athmaza.” He paused a moment - in a lesser man, Cora would have thought,  _ hesitated  _ \- then said, “Kiru, a word before you go.”

Cora politely averted his gaze to examine the gas-lamp to his right, as Kiru Athmaza approached the Emperor. On his other side, he sensed Neris doing something similar. This moment was not for them, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Edrehasivar pull his nohecharo into a firm hug.

And he could not help but hear the fiercely whispered “Oh, but I shall  _ miss  _ thee, Kiru.”

And even softer, “And I  _ thee _ , Maia.”

Cora swallowed. No, this was extremely not for him. A shift of fabric as they parted, and in a more normal tone, the Emperor asked, “When does your airship leave?”

“Nine o’clock tomorrow, Serenity.”

“We’ll see you off.”

“Serenity, there’s no-”

“We’ll  _ see.  _ You  _ off _ .”

“...Yes, Serenity. Thank you, Serenity.”

“Thank  _ you _ , Kiru Athmaza.”

She bowed in response to that. “We’d best go finish packing, and see that our relief is properly prepared for his duties.” Cora judged that was his cue to return his attention to the present. He looked back to see Kiru giving him an appraising look, and ducked his head a little.

“We hope we are. Serenity.” 

Edrehasivar gestured a dismissal, and Cora, Neris, Kiru, and Lieutenant Telimezh bowed once more and filed out, as the First Nohecharei took their stations by the door.

As soon as it closed behind them Kiru turned to Cora. “Alright, young man, let us see your mura.” He extended his arm obediently, and she held his wrist beside her own, sliding maz-beads from her mazan-mura to his. Wards, he recognized as the first one linked itself in, warding on every spectrum he could imagine. And he sensed, on the other side of the door, that Cala held the twin to each of these, so that the Emperor’s protections never lapsed for even a heartbeat. Kiru said, “We’d take time and do the transfer after your formal oaths, but we’re  _ reasonably  _ certain you’re not about to betray the Crown in the next hour, and we really do have to pack.”

Lieutenant Telimezh snorted. “I  _ did  _ tell thee-” he muttered, and Kiru shot him a dirty look.

“ _ Hush _ , you. We’ll see you both at supper. Adremaza.” She inclined her head in the hint of a bow, then turned and swept off, with grandeur all outsized to her delicate frame and well-worn uniform.

“That maza is one of a kind,” Neris observed absently. “Well, Cora, Lieutenant. We’ve work to do, and so do you.” And he swept off himself, leaving Cora alone with the Lieutenant.

His new partner.

Cora swallowed. “We don’t think anyone in all the Ethuveraz could replace Kiru Athmaza.”

Telimezh shook his head, turning to head down the hall, and Cora fell into step just a fraction behind him. “An you were to try, we’d think you far too foolish for the job. But you won’t, will you.” He tilted his head, apparently looking Cora up and down. He was tall and good-looking - Cora recalled distantly that both lieutenants had been rather young for the post, when first assigned, but Telimezh had clearly done well in it. “We assume the Adremaza’s given you a talk already.”

“Yes.” The  _ talk  _ had been a bit more collaborative than the word implied - the two of them with their heads bowed over a dusty old tome, going over Rules and Recommendations for nohecharei-mazei. 

“All about not getting emotionally involved, putting your duty ahead of your personal feelings, that sort of thing?”

“Yes.” Neris had also unearthed a journal entry written by Sehalis Adremaza, after the treason and revethvoran of Dazhis Athmaza, who had been second nohechari-maza to Edrehasivar before Kiru’s time.  _ I can see now a thousand places and moments where one word, one glance, could have ended it all before it turned so sour _ , he’d written.  _ But the next time won’t look like this one, and there are an infinity of such moments every day, where the safety and security of the Emperor and the Ethuveraz balance on the blade of a knife, and to see which way any single person will fall is too often beyond even my scope… _

Telimezh’s voice was light, casual. “Largely irrelevant, that.”

Cora blinked, brought back to the present. “Beg pardon?”

“Oh, we’re sure it makes sense for some emperors. And certainly there’s much to be said for  _ appearing  _ as the emotionless wall between His Serenity and the rest of the world. But practically speaking, in the dav of Edrehasivar Zhas? Detachment is not particularly an asset.”

“I - we’re not sure we understand.”  _ Dav _ , wasn’t that some word in Barizhin? He’d heard it used once or twice around the Alcethmeret, but he couldn’t recall the exact context.

Telimezh didn’t  _ look  _ like he’d gone raving mad, at least. “You’re thinking about our first partner.”

Cora winced. “Well… yes. Wasn’t that the problem, with him? He took the changes Edrehasivar was making personally, and put his own wishes ahead of the Ethuveraz. Er… isn’t that right?”

“Well, yes and no. Dazhis’s grievances were entirely legitimate, politically. Even now, there are people who’d agree with him, and with Sheveän and Chavar, though they’ll never quite say those exact words in polite company. The problem was that he felt strongly about them, but he didn’t tell us, or the Emperor.” 

They turned down a side hall, Cora once again an instant behind, but he thought he was getting better. He frowned to himself. “Tell the Emperor his liege that he disagreed with him politically.”

Telimezh’s tone remained light, but an edge of steel crept into it now, like a rapier blade. “Better to tell him - in private, of course, and respectfully - than to  _ break his oaths _ and assist in some half-baked treason.”

“Well, when you put it like  _ that _ .” Cora tried to imagine telling Edrehasivar Zhas that he disagreed with some policy. Even  _ thinking  _ about it made his ears flatten automatically. “But it seems - to us - couldn’t that sort of thing be… unethical? Given our position to the Emperor.” And given Edrehasivar’s propensity for those casual, impossible acts of kindness. Wasn’t the Archduchess Vedero teaching at Ashedro even now, still unwed after all these years?

“Well, he doesn’t give our input any greater weight than any other information he receives. But getting the political outcome you want isn’t the point.” Telimezh halted, turning to look Cora square in the eye. “The point, Cora Athmaza, is  _ not to keep secrets _ . Not from Edrehasivar, or if you really must keep something from him, not from us.”

Cora stared back. “... Oh. We see, we think.”

Telimezh nodded. “Nohecharei are paired for a reason, and it’s not just to cover on all fronts of attack.  _ Talk  _ to us. If something doesn’t seem right, if you have concerns, talk to someone about it. Us, or His Serenity, or send a note to the Firsts, or go to your friend the Adremaza. But don’t let it  _ fester _ . We’re all  _ people _ , here, we’re going to have emotions about things, there’s just no stopping it. Better to work it out together, as a dav.”

There was that word again, and Cora thought he recalled the meaning. It was one of those ones that didn’t directly translate to Ethuverazhin - something along the lines of  _ office _ , or  _ household _ , or -  _ family _ .

Oh.

He smiled. “We will. Or at least we’ll do our best.”

And Telimezh smiled back, for the first time. “That’s all anyone can ask.” He nodded to the door they were standing across from, and with a start Cora realized they had reached the Archprelate’s office. “Are you ready?”

Stand straight. Hands folded in his sleeves. He’d wanted this since he was fifteen years old. “We are.”

It was the first day of the rest of Cora’s life. 

**Author's Note:**

> \- Takes place *mumblety* years after canon. More than five, less than fifty.
> 
> \- It makes sense to me that Kiru would be the first of the four to retire, but I still feel bad for Telimezh. How many nohecharei go through _three_ partners in a career?
> 
> \- Cora and Neris have been friends since they were in the novitiate together. Neris is part-goblin, and became Adremaza some ten or fifteen years prior to this, after Sehalis Adremaza passed away peacefully of advanced age. I could write a lot about this guy.
> 
> \- If you're curious about the mazan-mura, it'll be more fully explained in an upcoming fic. (Hopefully.) ~~But if you've ever read the Young Wizards books, think Nita's charm bracelet.~~
> 
> \- Thanks to Breezy for the beta, and the entire tgechat crowd for encouragement! Writing is kind of worse than pulling teeth for me sometimes, but I'm so glad I have such a group to do it with.


End file.
